Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

I have an HD ready TV just crying out for an HD/PVR STB.

So, NTL: Do what Elvis say's, 'A little less conversation, a little more action!' :)

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

My TV does not have an HDMI connection. I would have to link the NTL HD
STB to the component connections on my TV to get HDTV.

I was assuming that any new NTL HD STB would have a SCART connector and was going to connect my STB to the TV using a SCART -> Component cable.

Are the specs for the NTL HD STB or the Telewest HD STB publicly available?

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Scart can't/won't carry HD.

Component will, so will HDMI.

HDMI supports HDCP encryption, Component doesn't.

Component will carry the HD signals in the short term as companies like Sky will not be encrypting to begin with as there are quite a few people in your situation (no HDMI), but at some point in the no too distant future HD will require HDMI.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Do you know what connector the new STBs will be using to connect to the TV?

Will it be HDMI to HDMI?

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

I know it's completely off-topic, but why on earth should we need encryption between the STB and the TV? How does this benefit the customer?

The movie companies are so paranoid it's untrue.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Having cancelled my TV package with NTL, to go for SkyHD.

Today i had a CS guy from NTL phone me up asking why etc. When i told him it was purely for the HD. he then told me that NTL will have HD boxes out by the later part of the year and will/should only cost £50 for existing users. Food for thought for you all ;)

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Was that £50 per month? ;)

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

From the way he said it, it seemed like a one off payment. A bit like the £299 one for the SkyHD box.

Also he said something along the lines of being able to record two programmes while watching another, where as SkyHD can only record one. Something like that anyway. Maybe the tech heads can work that one out ;)

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Yes it's the TVDrive as available to Telewest customers at the moment.

I too was told HD/PVR would be available later this year.... mind you I've already waited 2+ years for a PVR so I'm not holding my breath on NTLs actual rollout! :rolleyes:

I'm jumping ship to SkyHD for 12 months and if NTL get something out with content, that works, then I'll consider returning.... if they've got any staff left by then to take my order. ;)

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Why is a trial been discussed?

Its whats rolled out that counts, NTL appear to be market leaders in trials as they seem to a trial an aweful lot of stuff first.

When it comes to rollouts thats where they poor, most rollouts dodnt reach universal coverage and what is rolled out is usually behind other companies.

I am sure the telewest guy had a good reason to suspend the new box, since telewest is now merged with ntl its in his interest for ntl to do well also, I can guess it could be a technical problem with the box or maybe the cost was deemed too high since the shareholders were sold a 250 mill cost cut as reward for merging.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

The reason is that the output from HDMI is a digital data stream and in theory there is nothing stopping you from connecting it to a PC or HD-DVD recorder and making perfect HD copies of films etc.

What HDCP does is to 'interogate' what it is being attached to. In the case of a TV then it would report back what it was and the circuitry in the STB would allow the HDMI connector to pass the High Def data stream. If on the other hand HDCP didn't like the replies it was getting then it could either refuse to output a signal at all or 'downgrade' it to SD

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

when they do get the stb out will i run in to problems with this since i have a dvi port and will need a hdmi to dvi cable.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

Who knows?

DVI can handle HDCP, so all you will need is an HDMI>DVI adaptor, or an HDMI>DVI cable.

http://www.markgrantcables.co.uk/ind...products_id=39

Also-DVI does not carry audio (unlike HDMI), so you need to make sure you have a seperate amp or a speaker set up to handle the audio side of things.

HTH.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

The reason the trial was being discussed was because it was being claimed that, whereas Sky and Telewest had made preparations for HD, ntl had done nothing, which blatently was not true.

What is true, however, is that it appears that ntl were about six months behind Telewest in their HD preparations. As such they had a more up-to-date STB but would not have been able to release it until October at the earliest.

Re: Where Is HDTV From ntl.....when?
 

And therein lies the problem...

How can a company the size of ntl be so far behind a company the size of Telewest??